Marloes Coenen (21-5 MMA), will be taking on Cris Santos in a rematch from a fight back in Strikeforce in 2010. Santos won the first fight by 3rd round TKO but Coenen is confident that the outcome for this fight is going to be different and she is going to walk away as the first Invicta featherweight champion. Marloes first talked about her prep for the upcoming title fight.

“The preparation is actually already over. We did the big part in the Netherlands,” she explained. “Now in the camp we’re just making the weight and doing the last fine tuning.”

Coenen was also asked what she thought about Invicta getting this fight card on PPV. “I think it’s awesome,” she responded. “Within five shows they proved so much that they are already on PPV. I think that they are doing a tremendous job and hopefully all the female fighters on the card will be putting on amazing fights.”

“My career isn’t over after this fight. I will be winning and getting the world title,” she laughingly stated. She did admit there is a ton of levity weighing on this fight and it is one of the biggest opportunities of her storied career.

“There’s a lot at stake this time. I have to prove that I’m best in the world and if I want to be the best in the world you have to beat Cris. Very simple,” she calmly explained.

She was then asked to comment on the controversy surrounding Cyborg and her positive steroid test in the past. When asked if Coenen felt that the PEDs played a role in their last scrap in 2010 she replied, “I don’t want to be a negative person and I believe that the media, the fans, and the athletic commissions have already judged her and I’m not going to do that.”

She was then asked if she’d watched or studied the previous fight between them to gear up and prepare for this battle against Cyborg. “I didn’t see it fully but I’ve seen bits and parts and, yeah, I hate the feeling of a fight that I lose,” she replied.

Marloes stated that there were many factors that contributed to her previous loss to Santos but none of the factors be pawned off on anyone but herself and explained that she has really focused on improving on the aspects that lost her that last bout. She told the fans that size, power and conditioning were the major factors that lead to her defeat, but this time it’s going to be a different story.

“This time I do have to cut weight and I have done a really good strength and conditioning program and I will not underestimate her this time,” she confidently stated “It wasn’t that she was more technical than I am, she was completely out-powering me and she came in heavy.”

“She was at least ten pounds heavier when she stepped into the cage three years ago.” she explained. However, she assured us that this time around she’s taken the measures to get big enough, strong enough, and fast enough to dominate Cyborg come Saturday night.

Kinch then brought it to Coenen’s attention that many fans and other fighters are saying that this is a fight between a demolisher vs. a samurai. “I like the description,” she explained through her laughter. She then got a little more serious and stated, “She’s a powerhouse, but wait until you see me in the cage. You’ll definitely see a different Marloes.”

Marloes was also asked if she believed that Cyborg was going to underestimate her striking skills and Coenen firmly agreed but made it clear that she likes that and feels that it’s going to play a huge factor in this next fight.

The conversation then shifted to the fact that Marloes does all of her training and holds her camps at home in the Netherlands with her longtime training home of Golden Glory. She explained to the fans why she has opted to keep training in the Netherlands as opposed to coming to the US to host a training camp.

“We’ve built this fighting family and it’s really a family and I don’t want to abandon them,” she said. “I believe everything I need is there. It’s good. I stay loyal to my trainer.”

When asked to touch on her job and employment under the Invicta banner she raved about the company by saying, “I think it’s an amazing company. What I really love about it is that they have not only one weight category like some of the other places.”

She was then asked to comment on what other fights on the July 13th card she was looking forward to.

“If I’m really honest with you, I’ve only been focusing on my fight,” she said. “I’ve been living like a monk.”

Although Coenen did not have time to study up on the other fights hosted on Invicta 6 she did explain that she is impressed with all the talent that the company possesses in its stables. She explained, “Last time I was in Kansas for the Invicta fights it really blew me away, the level of athleticism and fighting that the girls showed.”

Leading into this fight many of the media outlets and MMA news sites have focused much of their attention on the Dutch striker in Coenen rather than the brutal Cris Cybor. When asked about why she feels she is getting more exposure than Cyborg leading into this fight Marloes responded, “I really want to get into the zone and fight and after the fight I will be in social media again, but this time I really want to take the belt.”

Coenen was also asked if she is ok with going down in the history books as a leading pioneer in the WMMA industry. She quickly replied, “I hope not. I hope I will be considered as a big fighter who never gave up and beat everyone.”

Chase Raymond then asked Marloes to comment on the UFC 162 title upset from last weekend. She excitedly stated, “I didn’t see the whole fight but I actually like the knock-out. That was an amazing knock-out.”

Coenen then talked about the possibility of fighting at different weight classes aside from her current home of featherweight. She explained that she was not opposed to the idea because she always wants to fight the best fighters. “I fought open weight,” she first explained. Marloes went on to say that she’s a true fighter and would never shy away from a big test to challenge her. But, for now, she has business to take care of at featherweight as she explained, “I believe that I’m the best fighter at 145, that’s for sure.”

When asked if she would work with Invicta and the UFC to help make that happen Coenen took a step back and stated that it wasn’t her job to play matchmaker…she’s a fighter.

“Shannon [Knapp] is the boss and she decides that,” she explained. “It’s solely up to her.”

Marloes was then asked what she did see in her future as a fighter following Saturday night, win or lose. She stated, “I want to keep fighting for a few more years and I want the whole world to know that I’m a good fighter. As long as I can manage that, I’m really happy. I might be doing some Thai boxing for GLORY as well, I don’t know. I might be fighting in Asia. I just want to have an active career.” She continued on the topic of returning to GLORY by saying, “My trainer is thinking about it and we already spoke about it but that’s after this fight.”

There have also been rumors circulating that Invicta is working on a deal with Showtime. When asked what she thought about working with Showtime again Marloes responded, “For me it would be a dream-come-true if Invicta and Showtime would team up together.”

Marloes, in closing, was asked to give her prediction on how the fight with Cyborg was going to play out on Saturday night in Kansas City. She confidently replied, “I don’t know which round it will be ended but I will win and I will take the belt.”

“If you want to really see a great fight on Saturday, buy the PPV for Invicta.”

From all of us here at BJPenn.com we would like to thank Miss Marloes Coenen for taking the time to talk about her upcoming title fight on Late Night Cage Side Radio and we wish her all the best of luck in Kansas City on Saturday, July 13th.

Don’t miss Coenen’s battle with Cyborg this Saturday, July 13th, at Invicta 6 in Kansas City. The event will also be the first Invicta card to air on PPV. Check your local listing and for all of the Invicta 6 updates click here and stay posted to BJPenn.com

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